Public Childcare and preschools in France: Political arguments for reform Blanche Le Bihan, LAPSS –ENSP and Claude Martin, Directeur de recherche CNRS and University of Rennes 1

I. Family policies in France: a success story? France is problably one of the EU member states which defined explicitly family and childhood as a State concern from the very beginning of the 20th century; In that sense, childhood was understood as a « common good » and a human capital The low level of fertility during the 19th century and the trauma of the 1st world war explain a pro-natalist issue The end of the 19th century and the first third of the 20th century combine the elements for the definition and institutionnalisation of an explicit « family policy »

Policy debates, public problems and family policy reframing New problems mean new measures and different phases of the French Family Policy (FFP) – : FFP golden age – : Women rights’ revolution – : Rediscoving poverty in a rich country. Equity issue – : Regulating unemployment with family policies

French public debate at the beginning of the 21st century These different phases are not real turning points, but rather a combination of new objectives with old ones The old doesn’t disappear. The new is piled up on the old (incrementalism) This means that ideas, arguments, rhetorics are combining themselves in the public debate But politicization of family issues is particularly strong at the moment

II. Main arguments, main oppositions 1.Family is the basic institution: promote universal norms 2.The equity challenge: to support the more needy 3.Family policy as an element of employment policy (developing services and « emplois familiaux »)

1. Family is the basic institution of society –Main French expectation: to succeed his/her family life –So family is still considered as the main condition for happiness –And on the contrary, family is also the main factor to explain social problems, the source of them –Public responsibility : to defend and protect family institution and define universal norms Importance of family law Definition of a « policy of marriage » Definition of a « police des familles » (as stated by Jacques Donzelot), which means to control and punish family irresponsibility and deviance

2. To support the more needy –A universal family policy which gives the same whatever the level of resources of the households is considered as unfair –Family policy has to be an element of social policy with an objective of equity –More « means-tested » allowances –A policy of services –Positive discrimination

3. Family policies to promote employment From 1985 to 1997, family policy reforms to promote conciliation between work and family responsibilities (for women only) were at the same time focusing on employment issue –Example of the flat rate paid parental leave –Example of the benefits to help parents to pay for childminders and home-helpers Some experts underline that this trend was an implicit employment policy hidden behind an explicit family policy

III. New needs, new experimentations 1. The offer of care services is important in France 2. New needs: flexible hours of work 3. The development of local experimentations

1. The offer of care services The offer of care services in France is important: –Crèches and childminders for children under 3 years old (from 8.30 to 18.30) –School, school care centers, day care centers and childminders for children from 3 years old (from 8.00 to 18.30) –Chilminders at home (16 €/hour) with important taxe advantages (flexible arrangements)

Caring of children from 4 months to 2 years ½ (Drees inquiery, 2006) Crèches10% Grand-parents6% Childminders at home1% Family1% Parents (one parent does not work) 50% Parents (both work)11% Childminders (assistantes maternelles) 21%

The school (école maternelle) (Drees inquiery, ER n°497, juin 2006) 25% of 2 years old children at school at least during mornings 97% of 3 years old children at school 99% of 4 years old children at school

2. The growing flexibility of working hours The problem concerns childcare before 8.00, after 18.30, during the week ends. This notion refers to very different working conditions. The common point is that these hours are staggered which means not in phase with the standard hours of work, or with the normal opening of many public and private services Two main criteria to define atypical working hours: –Variable/invariable –Regular/irregular Two main variable to define the impact of these working hours on family life: –Negociability –predictability

3. The development of local experimentations Services which are affordable for everyone (from 1€ to 9€, depending on the income of the family) Home-based childcare services, which is a main advantage for the chikd, who remains in his familiar environment. Three main principles

A partnership principle The services are developed at a local level and are funded by two main financers: the municipality and the Family Social Fund (Caisse d’allocation familiale). The absence of the firms. A financial partnership is necessary: based on commitments of each partner. Several forms of financial investment. other types of partnerships: technical assistance, advice, organisations of meetings …

A professional service The recruitment of qualified employees The organisation of a real supervisory structure Three main advantages The problem of the activity of the employees: the development of flexibility

A service based on complementarity Developing the complementarity of the activities of the employees The complementarity of the service with traditional public services The adaptation of the service to the situation of the family

Advantages and Limits of these innovative systems A solution to organise a stable care arrangement and combine work and family life. 70% of the families are lone parents and use the experimental service as one of the resources available to organise their care arrangement. Their experimental dimension and the necessity to stabilise the financial investment of the public partners.